2012 News Releases

Longwood’s Summer Literacy Institute to feature award-winning authors

June 21, 2012

Longwood University will host the Ninth Annual Summer Literacy Institute July 19-20. The two-day event features talks by national and regional authors, networking opportunities, vendor displays and book signings. The conference attracts librarians, teachers, reading specialists and literacy coaches but is open to anyone with an interest in literacy.

On Thursday, July 19, author Maggie Stiefvater will present the banquet keynote address. Stiefvater is the author of the acclaimed young adult novel "The Scorpio Races" (Scholastic Press, 2011), which has been recognized as the Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of 2011, the Horn Book Fanfare Book of 2011, an Amazon.com Best Young Adult Book of 2011, Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year, a 2012 Michael L. Printz Honor Book and a School Library Journal Best Book of 2011. The banquet is open to nonconference participants with the purchase of a $40 ticket.

Author Kelly Gallagher will present two workshop sessions on Thursday. Gallagher is author of "Write Like This: Teaching Real-World Writing Through Modeling and Mentor Texts" and "Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It." Gallagher, a full-time English teacher in Anaheim, Calif., is former co-director of the South Basin Writing Project at California State University, Long Beach.

Friday's workshop session will feature authors Kathryn Erskine, Hillary Homzie, Jacqueline Jules and Alexandria LaFaye, who will discuss their journeys as writers and readers through panel discussions followed by breakout sessions.